Chair-signal for theaters.



J. J. MQGOMISH. CHAIR SIGNAL FOR THEATERS. APPLIOATIONA FILED SEPT. 13. 1913.

Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

INVENTOR.

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Patented Mar. 30,1915'.

Application iled September 18, 1918. Serial lo. 789,698.

To all lwlw'm, it may concern:

Be it known that I, J onN J. McComsH,y

a citizen of the United States, residing at 138 West One Hundred and Third street., borough of Manhattan, New York city, in the countyy and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Chair-Signal for Theaters, of which the following is a. specification.

" The object of my/invention is to provide a method whereby the unoccupied chairs in a darkened hall'or theater may be quickly and easily located by the attendants, or by persons looking for seats.

A secondary object is to provide a meansr for determining when two such unoccupied chairs are adjacent to each other, iny the same row of chairs.

I attainy my objects by the devices described in this specification, and illustrated in the accompanyingr drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side view of a chair itted with my invention, the near-side frame of the chair being removed to show the mecha nism clearly. Fig. 2' is similar to Fig.' 1, except that the Working parts are shown 1n a diierent position. Fig. 3 is a rear view of two adjacent chairs, yfitted with my invention, a portion of each chair frame being removed to give a clear view of the parts. Fig. 4 .is an enlarged view of ar portion of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of one of the Working parts in various positions, assumed during its operation.

Similar parts in the several views are marked by similar letters of reference.

A, A is the chair frame.

B is a vertically swinging seat, such as is commonly fitted to theater chairs, swinging on stud-bearings at a.

C is an actuator in the form of a horizontal lever, pivoted at b to swing in the vertival plane, and having at its outer end an upward extension, c, which terminates in 4a knob, or button, D. 1 c passes through an opening in the stop-block E, and a helical spring, F, is mounted on c, between D and E, and is normally under compression, holding C in the horizontal position shown in Fig. 1 when the seat, B, is not occupied. C is formed with a downward extension, G, through which there is an oblong slot or opening, d, shown in Figs. 1 and 2. n

In suitable bearings on the chair-frame there is mounted the rocking shaft, H, which extends the entire length of a. row of chairs.

( )n H, at a point determined by a vertical hne dropped midway between two adjacent seats, there is firmly attached the arm, I, which has journaled loosely on its outer, free end, the cross-bar, K. The outer ends of K are entered in the oblong openings, d, d, of the downward extensions G, G, of the levers, C, C, of .two adjacent chairs; as

shown in F igs.y 3 and 4. Operative connection is thus obtained between C and H, through the cross-bar, K, and an arm I. .The rocking shaft H, extends an inch or' two beyond the end chair of the row, as shown in Fig. 3 and at this point there is attached to H the shutter-arm L, carrying at its outer end the shutter, M, shown in section in Fig. l, and in full face from the rear in Fig. 3,- the dotted 'line in Fig. 3 showing the line of section` in Fig. l. M is provided with two Windows a: and y, fitted with glass of contrasting colors. yFor descriptive purposes, I shall assume a: to be fitted with green glass, and jl/ with red glass. y

N is a small electric incandescent lamp, so situated with relation to the shutter, M, that its light will be masked, or uncovered, toward the rear, as M islowered or raised. N gets its current supply through a switch O. A projecting stud on the free end of O `enters into engagementwith the lever C at o, as shown inY Figs. y1 and 2, and the contacts are arranged to pass' current to the lamp N' easily understood. It will be seen that, in f any row of chairs fitted with my device, the two end chairs of the row will each have a single lever C, while each of theintermediate chairs will y havey two such levers. When all the chairs in a row are occupied, the several seats press downward on their respective buttons D underneath, forcing the working parts into the positions shown in Fig.y 2, in which the lamp N, is masked from view toward the rear by the opaque uper part of the shutter, M. f The lamp Nmay he boxed in on all sides excepting'the rear, ifdesired, and, under this condition,-when the shutter, `M, is dropped to the position shown in Fig. 2, the lamp is entirely hidden from view. To prevent a waste of electric current when it is not needed, I have introduced the switch O in the supply circuit 'of the lamp N wshfsihe camel-.ainsi the conditlons'shown in Fig. f2." l If are any unoccupied chairs in a rowthen the working parts of my new mechamsmv on iov such chairs will be inthe position shownin Fig. 1, and ifV any two such unoccupied chairs are adjacent to each other, .the crossbar K,common to such two chairs will be raised to its highest level, operating the arm, I, and through it, theI rocking shaft, Y H, to raise the shutter, M, to lthe'positlon shown in Fig. 1, when the red-glass window, y, is in line with the lamp N, thus showing `the red light to the rear. I f, however, there are unoccupied chairs in a rowbut no two such unoccupied chairs, are adjacent to each other, then anycross-bars aiected will be raised at only one end. v As a result, the `rocking shaft, H, will have an angular movement, suliicient only to raise the shut- 'j ter, M, to4 a position' midwayfbetween its highest, shown in Fig. 1, and its lowest,

' shown in Fig. 2, and the lamp N, will bein when one or more seats are unoccupied, but

no two of such unoccupied seatsare side by side. Itwill be seen that 'eitherthe inclined position K2, or' the reverse inclined position will produce the same angular movement of the rocking shaft, H.

Having thus shown the operation of my invention as applied to a single row of chairs, it will be evident that, if all the chairs in any hall or theater be equipped with my device, each row having its separate signal 'lamp showing toward the entrance of the aisle, there will be little difficulty and practically no loss of time in seating. those persons who enter while the place is dimly lighted, which is a necessary condition for i some forms of entertainment. j Al glance along the aisle will at once show the place where a vacant seat may be found, as a green light will show at that place, and when two persons are looking for seats side by side,

the red light will show where twovsuch seats can be found. v

' The mechanism and parts, herein described, show thebest form of applying my invention yet devised by me, but I do not conline myself to` this form, as such may be variously modified without ,substantially departing from the spirit of ,my inventlon. l Y

arranged as shutter. A

device, actuators. arranged adjacent the shutter,

"j insaccabination a Ap the levers, and means for transmitting the motion of the cross bars to the member and '2. In a device ti wtiaft .1mg h -1 o ar' vexten" tereaong signalmechanism including a shutter con: nected to the rocking shaft, 'an arm connected to k'rocking shaft and extending therefrom tween adjacent seats, a cross of tlie character set forth,

arm, and connections between said adjacent seats and vsaid cross bar whereby the occutheaters,the'eomf i Qi scatsof a member extendingthrealong,asigna1 s hut A6 with a plurality of seats,

4bar loosely journaled on the free end of said p ancy lof either one seat alone or both seats will cause the signal shutterto be moved to varying distances.

3. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a plurality of seats arranged in a row, a rocking shaft extending vtherealong, signal mechanism connected to said shaft and including a movable shutter having av plurality of differently colored windows and a lamp adjacent the shutter for selective coperation with theseveral windows,` actuators arranged adjacent the several seats, means connecting the adjacent actuators and connections between said means and the rocking shaft serving to cause the signal shutter to move a certain distance toiudicate one color when 'a single seatis unoccupied and to a different dis-- tance to indicate a different color when two adjacent seats are. unoccupied.

4. In a device of the character set forth, the. combination with a plurality of chairs having movable seats, of a variable signal seats adapted 'to be operated thereby when the seats are occupied, eachactuator being adapted toV be engaged and moved by the seat, means connecting the adjacent actuatorsl and connections between said means and the. signal device serving to cause the same to display different indications de-j pending upon whether a Vsingleseat. is unvPied.; l

v5. In a chair signal 'for theaters, the combination with a vmovable chair seat, of a lever adapted to be operated in one direction bythe seat, said lever having an upward extension c and a downward eXtension G, a spring associated with the upward extension tendingto elevate the lever, a rocking shaft extending along the seat, an arm extending laterally fromr the shaft, a shutter carried by the rocking shaft, a lamp and means between the adjacent said occupied or two adjacent seats are unoccui downward extension G and said arm wherecross bar loosely journaled on the free end of said arm, and connections between said adjacent seats and said cross bar whereby the occupancy of either one seat alone or 15' both seats will cause the signal shutter to be moved through said armand movable member to varying distances. 4 f J. MCCOMISH.

JOHN

Witnesses:

MARY R. BUTLER, CHARLES M. OKEEFFE. 

